[AppalosaCowGirl]

When I dont get Caesar to stop. (Read my other thread) He pulls the reins out of my hands.. (you know the move the pulling his head down then pushing his nose out. )

Anyway THis is A Huge problem becasue I am trying to teach him to put his head down So I will stop him give him the cue then When his head goes down I realse all the rien pressure then he pulls the reins out..

Here is my question.

Do I First Teach him Not to pull the reins Then teach him to put his head down. and if this is the case, HOW do I go about making him quit this?


Or do I continue with what I am doing. teach him to put his head down, and ignoreing the pull of the reins..

Thank for the Advice in advance

[skysthelimit]

ooh, i get to go first! Firefly used to do this...so i started 'tapping' her with my heels, asking her for a little more speed, thus bringing her head up. If this doesn't work you can try circling him or doing both. Make him work and pay you attention. It may take a while, but eventually he'll get the picture and it will be easier for him to listen to you than to try and evade you.

I've read some of your other threads and am curious, have you had the vet look at his teeth lately? He may be in some pain and could stand a good floating or something. May do wonders for your ride!~Brit

[AppalosaCowGirl]

YEah I have had him for at least Three years. and havent had a vet look at them (teeth i mean) AT the moment I need to get some money stock piled before I let that clear my back out.. (That wouldnt be good) Plus I need to find a vet that does it.. But yeah I will do it a soon as i can

[luvs2ride79]

His teeth need to be checked and/or done AT LEAST once a year by a vet or equine dentist. Vet work is your responsibility for all of the animals in your care, and required by law in most states. If you cannot afford routine veterinary treatment for your animals, you should not have them.

Have your vet out ASAP! Teeth should be looked at once a year by a good vet, more if they are older or have an off "bite."

If his teeth check alright, then here is what I recommend.

Do not ignore pulling the riens. Tech him discipline first, then teach him proper way of going. When he pulls the reins out of your hand, yank one rein up and kick him with that same heal HARD, and yell "QUIT!"

When riding, keep your fingers closed around the reins, bend your thumb over the reins (one of my past trainers told us to "make a roof on the reins," it really does help), keep your shoulders back, keep your lower back soft, and tuck your tail bone under you a bit. Tucking your tail bone under you a bit, and keeping your lower back soft, will secure your seat and make it harder for him to pull you forward.

~Barbara

PS: To those that have critized my post: I have edited it, I hope you're happy. And, IMO, not knowing something IS being irresponsible, just as irresponsible as not caring. Not knowing is not caring enough to find out what is best for the health and well being of your animal, especially after owning it for longer than a few months... All new owners go through a learning curve, but you should be expected to catch up on basic health care knowledge sooner rather than later, especially when you have the internet and message forums at your disposal.

[mistylover]

It would be a good idea to get his teeth done. It was a MAJOR help when i got my new mares teeth done, They respond SOO much better, well at least mine do. I get my horses teeth done once every two years, and there fine, I think it depends on the amount of riding and what they eat.

[mandiemoo]

i agree on getting his teeth done that would help emlinate what the problem could be.

On getting him to stop pulling the reins from your hands try getting him to move more foward so he cant do that.

Another thing is to carry a dressage whip, or a whip so that when he does that you can give him a tap and a little kick at the same time. the most important thing is not to pull on his mouth when he does this. pulling on his mouth will make the problem worse as the more you pull the more he will too.

I hope this has helped a little. but i agree on getting his teeth done

[mandiemoo]

Originally Posted by luvs2ride79

His teeth need to be done AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR! You are not being a responsible horse owner if your vet hasn't looked at his teeth in three years... Vet work is your RESPONSIBILITY for all of the animals in your care, and required by law in most states. If you cannot afford routine veterinary treatment for your animals, you should not have them.

I do not think that you saying this is very fair at all! some people need to be educated about when their horses teeth need to be done. i used to get a vet out to do the teeth once a year and he kept telling me they were fine and can be left for a few years before needing them done again as her teeth were good. so not all horses need their teeth done once a year.

Im sure you could have found a much politer way of saying this...

[Dawn]

Teeth need to be checked at least once a year (as has been said). If you haven't had it done in the 3 years that you've owned him, who knows how long it's actually been (if ever) since they've had any work.

[luvs2ride79]

Originally Posted by mandiemoo

I do not think that you saying this is very fair at all! some people need to be educated about when their horses teeth need to be done. i used to get a vet out to do the teeth once a year and he kept telling me they were fine and can be left for a few years before needing them done again as her teeth were good. so not all horses need their teeth done once a year.

She said she hasn't had her vet even look at the teeth in 3 years... Sure, some horses grind down their teeth naturally, depending on what you feed them, and don't need them done every year. But they should at least be checked every 12 months, and every 6 months as the horse gets older (20yrs old and up).

~Barbara

[Crazy4Bays]

I agree, you NEED to get his teeth done. Sure, some horses can go years without having their teeth done, but some horses, like younger horses, need theirs done more often! If you get him to respect you (both under saddle AND on the ground) he will less likely pull on you, given nothing pains him. Get the vet out to check his teeth, and get him to respect you.

**EDIT** I just looked at one of your other threads, the one about Ceaser not responding to the bit, but he does in a hackamore. That just leads me more to believe that he needs his teeth done.